Restitution Calculator
Restitution amount from victim losses.
About this calculator
Court-ordered restitution compensates crime victims for actual, documented losses — this calculator sums six loss categories (property damage, past and future medical costs, lost wages, counseling/therapy, and other documented out-of-pocket expenses) into a gross loss figure, then subtracts any amount already recovered through insurance to reach net restitution owed, since restitution statutes generally require offsetting recovered insurance payments rather than double-compensating the victim. For multi-victim cases it also divides net restitution evenly across the number of victims entered — a simplification, since real cases typically apportion restitution based on each victim's individual documented losses rather than a flat average, so treat that figure as a rough per-person baseline, not a legal allocation. The payment schedule section is illustrative rather than predictive: it assumes a flat post-release monthly income of $2,500 and a payment rate of 15% of that income to estimate a monthly payment and payoff timeline, when in reality courts set payment schedules case-by-case based on the defendant's actual proven ability to pay, and federal law (the MVRA) sets only a $25/month floor during incarceration.
The 6% interest estimate is likewise a default assumption, not a universal rule — some jurisdictions, including federal criminal restitution in many circumstances, charge no interest at all, while others apply a statutory rate that can differ significantly from 6%. Use this tool to organize and total documented losses for a restitution request, not as a substitute for the actual sentencing court's determination of amount, allocation, or payment terms.
Legal Disclaimer
This calculator provides general estimates only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws, regulations, and court procedures vary significantly by jurisdiction. Consult a licensed attorney in your area for advice specific to your situation.
Inputs
Results
Net Restitution Owed
$5,000.00
≈ 5 smartphones
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter Property Loss/Damage and Medical Expenses documented in police reports or medical records.
- Add Future Medical Costs and Lost Wages if applicable.
- Enter Counseling/Therapy Costs and Other Documented Losses.
- Set Insurance Recovery — restitution is typically net of insurance payments.
- Enter Number of Victims if multiple parties were harmed.
- Review total restitution amount — courts order restitution as part of sentencing; document all losses carefully.
How the result changes with Property Loss/Damage ($)
| Property Loss/Damage ($) | Net Restitution Owed |
|---|---|
| 2,500 | $2,500.00 |
| 3,750 | $3,750.00 |
| 7,500 | $7,500.00 |
| 12,500 | $12,500.00 |
What each input means
- Property Loss/Damage ($)
- Value of stolen, damaged, or destroyed property (replacement cost or fair market value).
- Medical Expenses ($)
- Past medical expenses incurred by victim(s) as a result of the crime.
- Future Medical Costs ($)
- Estimated future medical treatment and rehabilitation costs.
- Lost Wages ($)
- Income lost by victim(s) due to injury, court appearances, or recovery time.
- Counseling/Therapy Costs ($)
- Mental health counseling, therapy, and psychological treatment costs.
- Other Documented Losses ($)
- Other documented out-of-pocket losses (relocation, temporary housing, childcare, etc.).
- Insurance Recovery ($)
- Amount already recovered through insurance (reduces restitution owed).
- Number of Victims
- Total number of victims (for per-victim average calculation).
What each result means
- Total Gross Victim Losses
- Sum of all documented victim losses before insurance recovery.
- Insurance Recovery
- Amount offset by insurance payments.
- Net Restitution Owed
- Total restitution amount owed after insurance offset.
- Per-Victim Average
- Average restitution amount per victim.
- Estimated Monthly Payment
- Estimated monthly restitution payment (based on 15% of assumed $2,500/month income).
- Months to Pay Off
- Estimated months to pay full restitution at estimated monthly rate.
- Years to Pay Off
- Estimated years to pay full restitution.
- Total with Interest (6%)
- Total amount including estimated interest (where applicable, at 6% statutory rate).
How this is calculated
Worked example, using the default values
- Identify Input Parameters4 parametersProperty Loss/Damage ($) = 5000, Medical Expenses ($) = 0, Future Medical Costs ($) = 0, Lost Wages ($) = 0 = 8 input(s) provided
- Calculate Net Restitution OwedNet Restitution Owed5000 = $5,000
- Calculate Total Gross Victim LossesTotal Gross Victim Losses = propertyLoss + medicalExpenses + futureMedical +5000 = $5,000
- Calculate Insurance RecoveryInsurance Recovery0 = $0
Engine last updated . Checked against 3 independently-derived tests — how we verify calculators. Built by Paul Gunder, a software engineer, not a licensed financial, medical, or legal professional.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the calculator subtract insurance recovery from the loss total?
Restitution statutes are generally designed to make a victim whole, not to award a windfall, so amounts already recovered through insurance are typically deducted from what the defendant is ordered to pay. The calculator sums all six documented loss categories into a gross total, then subtracts whatever you enter as insurance recovery to reach net restitution owed, floored at zero so it never shows a negative amount.
Is the per-victim average how courts actually split restitution in multi-victim cases?
No. This calculator simply divides net restitution evenly by the number of victims you enter, which is a convenient simplification, not how real sentencing works. In practice, courts apportion restitution according to each victim's individually documented losses, so one victim with much higher medical bills than another would receive a larger share, not an equal split — use the per-victim figure only as a rough baseline for planning, not as a legal allocation.
Where does the assumed $2,500 monthly income and 15% payment rate come from?
Those are illustrative placeholder assumptions built into the calculator's payment schedule estimate, not a legal standard or a figure tied to any actual defendant's finances. Real courts set payment schedules based on the specific defendant's proven ability to pay, and federal law under the MVRA sets only a $25/month floor during incarceration — the calculator's monthly payment and payoff timeline exist purely to give a rough sense of scale, not a prediction of an actual court-ordered schedule.
Does the 6% interest rate apply to my case?
Not necessarily — it's a default assumption used to illustrate what accumulated interest might look like over the payoff period, applying a 0.5 factor to approximate how interest accrues as the balance is paid down over time. Some jurisdictions, including federal criminal restitution in many circumstances, charge no interest at all, while others set a statutory rate that can differ significantly from 6%, so check the actual rule that applies in the sentencing jurisdiction before relying on this figure.
Related Calculators
The questions that sit next to this one — chosen by subject, including calculators filed under a different category.
More in Legal & Professional.